VIJAYAWADA: Soon after the GN Rao Committee’s recommendations for capital development were made public at a press conference at the Secretariat in Velagapudi on Friday evening, farmers of Mandadam, Thullur and other villages of the capital region intensified their agitation.Tension prevailed at Mandadam as the protestors objected to the proposal of the distribution of capital functions among three cities—Visakhapatnam, Amaravati and Kurnool. Roads continued to remain blocked as more people joined the protests.
Meanwhile, agitators from all the 29 capital region villages marched towards the Secretariat and jumped the barricades in an attempt to obstruct vehicles of members of the GN Rao Committee members. However, Thullur police intervened and chased the agitators away; prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC continued to be in force across the capital region. Raising slogans against Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and his party, farmers obstructed the traffic towards the Secretariat by parking earthmovers and other vehicles at Y Junction in Mandamam. Demanding that the State government withdraw its idea of a decentralised capital, they burnt Jagan’s effigy and tyres to express their anguish, and rued that thousands would be subjected to hardships if the government went ahead with the plan.
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Threatening the government that thousands will commit suicide if the administration was shifted from Amaravati, the farmers expressed their worry about their future which was linked with the capital. “We condemn the recommendations by the GN Rao panel. We gave our lands to the government to ensure good future for our children. If they go ahead with their decision, we will commit suicide,” the protestors said.
Rubbishing GN Rao’s claim that the villagers of the capital region were consulted prior to the submission of the report to the CM, the farmers alleged that Jagan was ‘intentionally bifurcating’ the capital to take revenge on Telugu Desam leaders, including former CM Chandrababu Naidu. “If he (Jagan) is really worried about development, he should develop the State by finishing the capital, instead of cutting it into pieces,” V Gandhi, a farmer from Mandadam, said.
The farmers raised objections to Minister Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy’s statement on returning the lands to them. They alleged that the YSRC government was dividing the capital for its own benefits. “Ministers should think before giving statements on this sensitive issue. How can they expect us to take back our lands where buildings and roads have come up?” some farmers rued.Earlier, farmers and locals staged protests across the capital region by organising ‘rasta roko’, ‘vanta varpu’, dharnas and sit-ins.